These sustainable ambitions have led Radboud University and Radboud university medical center to join CSR Netherlands, a network organisation for sustainable companies and entrepreneurs. CSR Netherlands is responsible for launching the ‘Natural eating & drinking collective’ initiative of which this sandwich is the first iconic example.
Klomp: ‘What if we invest our purchasing volumes in better food from local producers? A rather simple idea that could actually give a huge boost to farmers growing their food in a way that makes nature more beautiful. It didn't take much encouragement for us to join in.’
These are the ingredients
So what should go on a Broodje Nimma? That was the big challenge. One condition was crucial from the start: the main ingredients had to come from natural agriculture and, as much as possible, from the region. Klomp: ‘The goal of the collective is to eventually source much more of our produce from local regenerative farmers.’
And if anyone works with the seasons and nature, it is Paul Weijers, the sous-chef of green Michelin-starred restaurant De Nieuwe Winkel. You can imagine how proud Martijn Gesthuizen (sous-chef at De Refter) was to be able to join forces with one of the chefs of the Nijmegen restaurant.
Together, they experimented with the local ingredients that would give the best flavour to the Broodje Nimma. They ended up with a plant-based variant: a crispy roll of regenerative grain from Gelderland-based GraanGeluk, grain mustard from restaurant De Hemel in Nijmegen, fermented vegetables from Basic Theory Ferments, peppery watercress from De Klispoel, all topped off with a nut and seed mix from Veld 4.
